Carmen
by BringMeBackToEarth
Summary: Parentlock! While on a case, an unfortunate accident leaves a baby girl in the care of Sherlock, if only for a short while. But what will happen when the detective feels an unusual connection with the little girl... and even a strange sense of protective love for her... Rated T for language and just in case. More of a Sherlock-centerd fic with lots of fluff.
1. Chapter One

Chapter One

"Damn it!" John cried, exasperated. "Is there any sign of the shooter?"

"No," Sherlock answered as his eyes began analyzing the scene around him, barely taking notice of the bleeding woman on the ground. "Lestrade should be here any moment. We almost had him this time!"

"Sherlock, please!" John scolded, desperately trying to save the bleeding woman on the ground.

The detective, seeing something out of the corner of his eye started to race down the street. "No, Sherlock. Come back here!" He stopped, turning on his heel as he heard John's voice calling him.

"Ugh! What could possibly be so important, John?" he asked, frustrated.

Breathing heavily as he tried to perform CPR on the dying woman, John gave terse nod to his right. "That," he breathed, groaning in frustration. "That's what could be so important."

Sherlock's eyes traveled to where his flat mate had pointed, and froze upon seeing a small baby carriage, a very unhappy child wrapped tightly in a pink blanket inside.

"John?" he asked warily, not liking what he knew the doctor was suggesting.

"Yep. That's right. You need to get her out of here. Damn it! Take her back to the flat; we don't know if there are more shooters. Where is Lestrade?!"

"John, I can't—I mean, you—"

"Sherlock, please stop acting like a child! Just go get her and take her back to the flat. Hurry!"

When the detective remained frozen in place, staring at the baby with a stricken look on his face, John paused and turned around. He sighed, almost laughing, as he saw the look on his friend's face. "Sherlock," he said gently, "you'll do just fine. We just need to keep her out of danger. You can do it. I'll be right down as soon as Lestrade and his team get here—that is if they ever bloody decided to show up!" He gave Sherlock a reassuring smile, before turning back to the bleeding woman, determination in his eyes.

"Right. Umm… Okay." Heart pounding, and with a strange sense of insecurity, Sherlock hurried over to the baby carriage. Taking a deep breath, he reached down, wrapping his slender fingers around the handle of the baby carrier, and snatched the large bag that was resting next to it, slinging it over his shoulder.

_ Flat... Need to take it to the flat... Right. Okay. I can do that. _

Baby in hand, he turned back to John, who paused to give his friend a reassuring smile. "The flat," he mouthed, giving a nod of encouragement. "You'll be fine." Then, a concentrated look returning to his face, he turned back to the woman, sighing in relief as he saw Lestrade pull up, followed closely by an ambulance.

Steeling himself, Sherlock quickly turned around, and hurried towards the direction of the flat, trying to shove away the strange sense of embarrassment he felt.

* * *

Soon, all other sounds began to melt away and were replaced only by the sound of the screaming baby in Sherlock's hands. The detective winced at the sound, but kept hurrying forward, eventually reaching the flat, and now quite on edge from the cries of the baby.

Almost as if in a strange haze, he opened the door with is free hand, and wandered through into the flat, quickly pushing it shut behind him, hoping maybe now that they were safely inside and surrounded by quiet, the little girl would stop her continuous wailing and calm down, giving him some peace and quiet.

For a moment, all was silent. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply, grateful for the silence. Just as soon as it had started, though, the quiet came to an abrupt halt as the little girl let out another angry cry, which echoed around the quiet flat.

"Wonderful," he muttered, hurrying up the stairs. _Good thing Mrs. Hudson isn't in_. As he walked into the flat, Sherlock gently placed the baby carrier on the ground, and let the baby bag slip off of his shoulder. "Ohh," he sighed, pressing the palms of his hands over his eyes. He tried to clear his head, attempting to drown out the piercing cries that were filling the flat.

"Ugh! Do you think you could please stop?" he asked in an exasperated voice, throwing his arms up in the air. He glared down at the little girl. "What do you want? I don't know how to help you!" He stared at the screaming little girl, running his hands through his raven curls as she only continued to wail louder.

"Agh! Fine, fine," he muttered, pulling out his phone. His fingers quickly flew over the keys as he typed: _**What should you do when a baby will not stop crying?**_

He hastily tapped the first website that popped up, wincing as another wail pierced the air.

He read the information quickly, frowning as his eyes skimmed over the suggested maneuvers: _**Pick the child up, turn the lights down, try talking in a soothing voice, lay your bare baby on your naked chest to establish skin-to-skin contact.**_

"Skin-to-skin contact?" he murmured out loud, frowning at the words on the screen. "Ugh!" he cried as the baby wailed again. "Okay, okay!" he said hastily, placing his phone on the couch.

Completely unsure of himself, but glad to try anything to get the wailing to stop, Sherlock leaned forward towards the baby carriage, stretching his long arms out.

"Umm..." Hesitantly, he undid the straps, unfolded pink blanket that enveloped the baby's body, and then wrapped his large hands around the little girl's incredibly small body, noticing how she was dressed only in a nappy.

Upon lifting her out of the seat, Sherlock froze, feeling how incredibly light she was in his hands; he felt as if he squeezed too hard or moved the wrong way she might break in his hands.

Now free of the blanket that had previously been wrapped around her small body, the little girl began to flail her tiny arms about, kicking wildly as she did so.

Her small features were scrunched up in displeasure as she cried loudly, tears streaming down her face.

The sight made Sherlock's heart twinge sadly in his chest.

"Oh, um... Shhh," he whispered, hoping to be soothing, as he held the little girl in front of his face, his large hands placed securely under her armpits.

He quickly glanced around the room, and his eyes fell upon the large black bag, which had the word "Carmen" printed across the front in a large, red font.

"Carmen? Carmen. Carmen!" He quickly turned his attention back to the little girl in his hands. "Shh... Carmeeen," he cooed. "Hey, Carmen," he murmured quietly, gently bouncing his arms up and down.

When that did nothing, he decided to try the next item on the list. "Uhh..." Unsure of how to go about dimming the lights, he instinctively moved the little girl to the crook of his arm, careful to cradle her head, which appeared to be extremely unsteady.

"Shh," he whispered quietly, standing up to close the curtains. He moved slowly, trying not to jostle the little girl in his arms, and then meandered back to the couch, sitting down again, but keeping Carmen safely in the crook of his arm.

The little girl sniffled, taking a moment to stare up at Sherlock with wide, puffy eyes. She paused, hiccupping as a few more tears slid down her pink cheeks.

"Ahh," Sherlock sighed happily, glad for the quiet. He gazed down at the little girl, a small smile playing on his lips. "It's okay," he murmured, tenderly brushing his thumb over the little girl's cheek in a rare show of comfort.

Moving as slowly as possible, he slowly turned his body, hoping to place the little girl back in her carrier. "Okay," he whispered, stretching down to place her tiny body in the baby seat. "There we go..." Slowly, the detective moved his arms away, gently pulling his fingers away from Carmen's middle.

The little girl stared at Sherlock from her car seat for a moment, eyes wide, before promptly opening her mouth and letting out a loud cry again. Instantly, Sherlock reached forward, hastily pulling the little girl back into his arms, but this time it did nothing; Carmen continued to scream, blindly flailing her arms about.

Sherlock began to gently talk to the little girl in his arms, hoping to calm her down once again.

"What? No," he groaned when she only began to wail louder, knowing he was going to have to resort to the last item on the list, but not truly caring if it meant the little girl's piercing cries would finally cease. "Okay." Sighing deeply, he stood up, and placed the now-screaming baby in her carrier once again.

Hurriedly, Sherlock pulled off his coat and jacket, tossing them over to his chair and then un-tucked his button up, undoing the buttons and threw it over by his other discarded clothing.

"Right." Bristling at the sound of Carmen's wailing, he quickly grabbed his blue robe and threw it over his shoulders.

"It's okay, it's okay. I'm here," he said hurriedly, picking up the little girl once again. Haphazardly holding her up, he laid down on the couch, stretching his legs out before hesitantly laying her on his bare chest, unsure of what he was supposed to do.

"It's okay, Carmen," he soothed quietly, awkwardly trying to position her small form on his bare chest, which only resulted in the little girl bumping her head against his collarbone.

"Oh! Sorry, sorry," he apologized quickly, pulling the little girl down further on his chest.

Clearly displeased with the situation, she began banging her small arms against Sherlock's chest, scrunching her face together in discomfort.

In an effort to stop the stream of tiny fistfalls against his skin, Sherlock gently placed is hand on Carmen's back, and began to run his thumb up and down, whispering comforting words.

The little girl paused upon feeling Sherlock's soothing hand on her bare back. She sniffled loudly, gazing up at the detective with an incredibly sad face and moaned quietly, the sound of which made Sherlock's lips twitch upwards in a small smile. Sniffling to herself, but no longer crying, Carmen tried to crawl up the detective's chest as a few more silent tears slipped free.

Smiling tenderly at the little girl, Sherlock gently scooted Carmen's small form upwards towards his face, noticing for the first time that his hand was bigger than her entire back. He stared at his hand resting on her incredibly soft back, suddenly amazed by the fact that a human being could possibly be this small.

"Ahhh," the little girl sighed gently, pressing her face into Sherlock's shoulder.

Suddenly very tired from all of her crying and screaming, Carmen yawned widely against the detective's skin. Shivering, she slowly tucked her arms and legs inward in an attempt to warm herself.

"Bbaa," she gurgled uncomfortably, snuggling into Sherlock's warm skin.

"Oh, right. Sorry. Here we go," Sherlock murmured quietly, pulling the fabric of his robe over Carmen's tiny body in an effort to warm her up.

"Mmm," she sighed, moving her tiny head back and forth against the detective's skin. She yawned again and gazed up at Sherlock with tired eyes.

"Hello," he whispered quietly, staring down at the little girl resting on his chest.

"Dddd," Carmen gurgled happily. Making quiet baby sounds, she slowly stretched her small body forward as much as she could, reaching her hand towards the detective's face. With a small grunt, she pressed her incredibly tiny fingers to Sherlock's chin.

"Mmm." Now having calmed down significantly, Carmen gazed up at Sherlock with wide eyes. She sighed contently, curling her chubby fingers against the detective's chin.

Sherlock stared down at the little girl, feeling a strange fluttering sensation deep in his stomach as Carmen's fingers curled against his skin.

"Amazing," he murmured out loud, noticing for the first time how the little girl was rather beautiful—now that she wasn't screaming.

Carefully, as if he was afraid he might hurt or disturb her, Sherlock took his hand and tenderly brushed his fingertips over Carmen's head, suddenly finding it hard to breath as he saw the little girl's lips turn up in what he was sure was a smile.

"You know," he whispered out loud, running his fingertips across Carmen's head again, "you're not too horrible when you're not wailing your lungs out." He chuckled out loud as Carmen sighed again, a tiny smile spreading across her face. "In fact... You're rather cute," he said, smiling down at the little girl.

"Bbbuu." Smiling, Carmen slid her hand further upward, pressing her fingers against Sherlock's lips. She stared at the detective with a tiny grin, eyes wide with wonder as she blinked slowly, her eyelids fluttering closed and then open again.

Sherlock's gaze flitted over Carmen's face, studying her chubby cheeks, smiling at her bald head, staring at her stunningly deep, blue eyes and reveling in the feel of her chubby fingers against his skin.

"Aaah," Carmen yawned widely, her face bumping haphazardly against Sherlock's jaw.

"Oh! Sorry. Hold on." With careful hands, the detective pulled Carmen's small body away from his face, settling her on his chest, letting her head rest in the dip just below his shoulder. "There you go." Sherlock smiled fondly as he felt the little girl yawn widely against his skin, pressing her face into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he murmured quietly, placing his hand on Carmen's back. His low, baritone voice rumbled throughout the flat, causing the little girl's eyes to droop as she listened to him talk. "You don't know it yet," he continued sadly, absentmindedly rubbing his thumb up and down Carmen's bare back. "But I'm afraid your mother might..." He stopped, feeling a pang of sadness spread through his chest. The detective took a deep breath, finding comfort in Carmen's small form shifting against his chest.

"You know, Carmen... It may sound completely illogical, but I actually kind of like you when you're calm and quiet... And, if you'd like, you could always live here... With me, I mean. It'll probably get pretty crazy at times, but I don't think it would be too bad. In fact, I think it might even be an interesting adventure." He turned his attention back to Carmen, not even noticing his eyes had been drifting around the flat.

Sherlock smiled fondly at the little girl, who was now fast asleep, her small hand clenching and unclenching against his chest.

Though he couldn't explain it, Sherlock felt an odd sense of unprecedented protection for the tiny being sleeping on his chest; she was so helpless and innocent. He felt an unusual desire to protect her from all the evil in the world; fend off the monsters she might have in her life.

"Ohh," he sighed out loud, a strange feeling building in his chest; now that Carmen was with him, he had a suspicious feeling that he would never be able to let her go.

"Why?" he asked himself out loud. He didn't understand how he could feel such strong sentiment for a small human being he'd just met. "Emotions... Hmm... Interesting." Smiling to himself, Sherlock began to gently stroke the tips of his fingers across Carmen's small head, closing his eyes and leaning back.

"Carmen," he murmured quietly, trying the name out on his tongue and feeling that same fluttering in his stomach as the little girl sighed against his skin.

"Can't wait to tell John..." Sherlock smiled smugly to himself, already picturing his flat mate's reaction. He snuggled deeper into the couch, listening to the quiet breaths of Carmen, smiling at the gentle rise and fall of her chest against his skin.


	2. Chapter Two

Carmen: Chapter Two

"Thank you very much, John," Lestrade breathed as they finished loading the woman's body into the ambulance. He quickly clapped the doctor on the shoulder, giving him his usual smile. "Now, uh, you said there was a baby?" The Inspector quickly turned around, scanning the scene for signs of a child.

"Oh! Yeah... I guess I did, didn't I? Well, I kind of—Umm—It seemed like a good idea at the time," John stuttered looking sheepishly at the ground. Greg turned back to the doctor, a quizzical look on his face.

"You mean you sent it home with _Sherlock_?" he asked incredulously, eyebrows shooting upwards.

"Well—Yes. Yeah. I did. I'd uh... Better go and see about that. Be back in a moment!" The doctor quickly turned around and began jogging in the direction of the flat, heart pounding with all of the possibilities that were racing through his head. Why on earth had he thought leaving a days-old baby with Sherlock Holmes was a good idea?

The doctor quickly reached the flat and shoved open the door, racing up the stairs.

"Sherlock, look, I—"

He stopped in his tracks as he entered the flat to see Sherlock, sleeping on the couch, wearing only his robe and suit trousers, a tiny baby snuggled tightly against his chest, sleeping soundly.

"Ohh," the doctor sighed to himself, lips turning up in a tiny smile as he gazed at his flat mate, who almost appeared to be smiling. He quickly pulled out his phone, taking as many pictures as he could of the detective with the small baby.

He smiled fondly at the two as he noticed Sherlock's hand resting gently on the little girl's back.

"Hmm," he chuckled to himself, smiling at the detective.

The doctor jumped upon hearing his friend speak, with his eyes still closed.

"You will delete those photographs immediately, thank you. And please stop grinning at me like a little schoolboy; it's just a baby. I highly doubt you have never seen a baby before."

Sherlock slowly opened his eyes to gaze at John, who was staring back at him with a quizzical look on his face.

"How did you—"

"Shh," the detective scolded. "You might wake her." Keeping his hand on Carmen's back and placing the other to the back of her small head, Sherlock slowly sat up, keeping the little girl pressed tightly against his chest.

"Mmm," she sighed, shifting in Sherlock's arms as he moved.

The detective froze, worried he had woken Carmen up. When the little girl continued to breath steadily, leaning into his chest, Sherlock continued moving, standing up off the couch. A smug look on his face, he faced John, who still looked slightly confused.

The doctor shook his head slightly, the small smile returning to his face. "So," he began slyly, giving his friend a smug look. "A baby. That's what it takes to break through that cold exterior, huh?"

Sherlock rolled his eyes, absentmindedly swaying back and forth. "Don't be absurd. This was only thing that got her to quiet down," he said matter-of-factly. "She simply would not stop crying."

"Mmm-hmm," John said, seeing right through his friend. He slowly crossed his arms over his chest, fixing the detective with a smug stare. "You don't have to lie, you know? I won't think any less of you."

"Please, John, I mean how—"

"But I will need to take her back now, you know?" John interrupted gently.

Sherlock froze, instantly tightening his grip around Carmen. "What?" he asked, staring at John.

"We have to give her back. I mean—she probably has a father somewhere, maybe even grandparents, all of whom—"

"No," Sherlock interrupted, fixing the doctor with an icy glare. "She's staying with me." He could feel a deep burning sensation in the pit of stomach. "I—I mean... Umm," he stumbled, blushing deeply.

"Wait," John began, gazing at his friend. "You mean you... You actually want to keep her?" he asked gently, his eyes falling upon the sleeping girl in his friend's arms.

"Well," Sherlock said awkwardly, avoiding John's eyes. "No, I mean—I just—I feel like I need to—sort of... I don't—Protect her," he muttered quickly, staring embarrassed at the floor.

When no response came from John, the detective quickly look up at his flat mate, worried about what he might find. "John?" He paused upon seeing the soft look in his friend's eyes.

The two stared at each other, and it was clear John was thinking over the situation. The doctor took a deep breath, eyes scanning the ground as he thought.

"Well," he began slowly. "You know there's a very slim chance that you could even get custody of her. And even if you did, I'm not sure you understand what a huge respons—"

"I can do it, John!" Sherlock cried, a sense of hope building in his chest. "I mean it. I understand the responsibility and I can do it... I promise." He looked at John with wide, hopeful eyes, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Okay," the doctor said slowly, a serious look on his face, though his eyes were shining. "How about I'll go and talk to—"

"John! Sherlock? Did he harm the baby?" came the boisterous voice of Lestrade. He quickly cleared the last of the stairs, bounding into the flat. He stopped, an utterly stunned look on his face as he saw the baby in Sherlock's arms, snuggled closely to his chest.

"Ah. Umm, Greg? Could I talk to your for a moment?" John said quickly, ushering the Inspector into the kitchen. He shot Sherlock a hopeful look, already explaining the situation to Greg.

"Ohh," the detective sighed nervously. He gazed down at Carmen, who had shifted in her sleep upon hearing the loud entrance of Lestrade. "Hopefully," he whispered, resuming his gentle swaying. He slowly ran one of his fingers across the top of Carmen's head as he listened to muffled voices of John and Lestrade.

Eventually, after waiting for what seemed like ages, Greg and the doctor finally emerged from the kitchen. Instantly, Sherlock began analyzing them, assessing their body language for any sort of a hint as to how the conversation went.

A small smile on his lips, Lestrade meandered over to Sherlock, keeping his voice down, on account of the resting baby. "Okay," he began. "Here's what I can do. Technically, legally, we're going to need to see if she has any immediate family who will get custody of her. We'll run some background checks to see if any of them are suitable to raise and house a small child. Although this is breaking the rules—like a lot—I'll let you keep ahold of her until we're done with everything. If we find that she either has no family members who should get custody, or that none of them are suitable, well—I'm sure your brother could take it from there." The Inspector gave Sherlock a small grin, knowing how much the detective despised his brother, but Sherlock wasn't listening.

The detective's mind was racing with the fact that until they found anything, Carmen would be staying with him with him. He exhaled, releasing a breath he didn't even know he'd been holding.

"Thank you, Lestrade," he breathed, giving the Inspector a genuine smile.

"No problem. Op!" he cried, quickly pulled out his ringing mobile, glancing at the caller I.D. "Sorry guys. I've got to go. I'll call you whenever I have an update on the case—or on the little girl." He gave the two men a quick smile before hurrying down and out the stairs, quickly talking into his phone.

Sighing in relief, Sherlock turned to John.

"Thank you," he said awkwardly, giving the doctor a small smile.

"Of course. I understand," he said quietly, giving his friend a small smile.

Sherlock cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably. "Umm... If you wouldn't mind—I could—I mean, it might be nice to have some help with... Getting everything ready for... You know."

John laughed, giving Sherlock a grin. "Of course. I'd be more than happy to." He glanced at his watch. "Oh. Better do it quickly, though. Mary's expecting me home in a few hours so we can go out for dinner tonight."

"Right. Okay. So what do we need to do?" Sherlock asked, staring expectantly at John.

"Well... I suppose you could stay here with her and I can go out and get everything you might need. Unless, of course, you'd rather leave her here with me and you can go and get the items yourself," John said comically.

"That would be highly illogical, John, seeing as she's currently sleeping on me right now, and the process of handing her off would result in her waking up. In addition—"

"Sherlock! That was a joke," John chuckled. "And yes, yes, I know. You wouldn't want to hand her over, anyway." He gave the detective a knowing grin. "All right. Come here," he said, gesturing to the couch.

Sherlock diligently followed John to the couch, frowning in confusion as the doctor picked up the large black bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "Come on then." Bag in tow, John hurried into the kitchen.

"Okay," the doctor said, setting the bag on the table. He unzipped the top, sifting through the items inside. "There we go," he said, pulling out several objects and placing them on the table. He turned to Sherlock, chuckling to himself as he saw the detective desperately try to make sense of the objects on the table. John started to explain. "At some point, she's going to get hungry. This," he gestured to the table, "is her food."

"Okay," Sherlock said hesitantly, clearly not understanding.

"Don't worry," John chuckled. "I'll show you. Okay! First things first, you need to take these," he grabbed the bottle parts in his hands and walked over to the stove. He started the water running, pulled out a pot, and filled it with the water. "We need to sterilize the bottle; just to be safe. After this, you don't need to boil them any more, just give them a thorough cleaning." He smiled at the detective, placing the pot of water on the stove and setting it to boil.

"Okay. Next, we need to take this," John quickly reached back towards the table and grabbed the container of baby powder. "This is her food… More or less. Following me?"

Sherlock nodded slowly, absentmindedly running his hand up and down Carmen's back as John spoke.

"Good. You'll need to know how much of this to measure out." John slowly walked Sherlock through the steps of measuring out the proper amount of baby formula.

"Think you have it?"

Sherlock nodded slowly. "I think so."

"Good. Okay. See how the water is boiling now?" The detective nodded. "Right. Well now we can put the bottle in and sterilize it. Go on."

Trying not to jostle Carmen, Sherlock took a free hand and dropped the bottle parts into the boiling water.

"Good. Now we just wait about five minutes until that's done."

A content look on his face, John sat down on one of the chairs.

He chuckled as Sherlock began to pace back and forth around the tiny kitchen. "You okay?"

"Hmm? Oh. Yes, fine. Sorry." The detective quickly sat down in one of the chairs. The two waited in silence for the bottles to finish.

"Okay. Come on then," John said, standing up. "All right." He took the pieces out of the boiling pot of water.

"Right. Now come over here." Slowly, John walked his flat mate through the steps of how much formula to use and how much water to use and how to prepare the bottle. "Very good," he praised. "Now shake up, make sure it's all mixed together… Yep. Just like that."

Both John and Sherlock's eyes fell to the detective's chest upon hearing a small whining sound.

"Mmm," Carmen sighed, yawning widely as she shifted against Sherlock's chest. Sighing quietly, the little girl slowly opened her eyes, leaning tiredly against the detective's chest.

"Oh! Hi there," John cooed quietly, leaning forward to get a better look at the little girl in Sherlock's arms. "Wow, she's pretty isn't she?" he asked gently, giving Sherlock a small smile.

"Mmm," the detective murmured quietly, staring down at Carmen.

Suddenly, the little girl squirmed in Sherlock's arms, her face scrunching up in discomfort.

"Poor thing; she's probably hungry." Turning his attention back to Sherlock, John straightened up, gesturing to the bottle in the detective's hand. "Come one, then. I'll go show you how to feed her."

The two made their way out of the kitchen, Sherlock trying to calm Carmen down as she fussed in his arms.

Bottle in hand, Sherlock sat down on the couch, automatically moving the little girl to the crook of his arm.

"Good. Now just make sure that you did get any air in the top of the bottle, and you should be set to go." He gave Sherlock a small nod of his head and a reassuring smile. "I should be back soon."

"Well wait—What do I do once she's done?" the detective asked quickly as John made his way to the stairs.

"Oh. Just burp her, and change her nappy when necessary. I shouldn't be gone too long. You might need to make another bottle, though. Don't worry you'll be fine." With another quick smile, the doctor turned around, hurrying down the stairs, and leaving Sherlock alone with the little girl in his arms.

The detective stared towards the doorway, bottle held up in the air.

The sound of Carmen fussing in his arms pulled Sherlock away from his thoughts.

"Sorry," he murmured quickly, turning his attention back to the little girl.

Carefully, Sherlock moved the bottle towards Carmen's mouth. Eagerly, the little girl latched on, sucking happily at the formula inside.

The detective smiled to himself. "There you go," he whispered happily.

Now content, the little girl's eyes slid shut and she snuggled deeper into Sherlock's hold.

"Mmm," she sighed happily, blinking slowly up at the detective.

"Hello," he murmured, lips turning up in a small smile as Carmen stared up at him, eyes glowing with wonder. The detective took a moment to just stare at the little girl, momentarily frozen by how small she was. At a guess, he would say she was only a few days old. Maybe a week at the most.

"You're kind of beautiful... Do you know that?" he asked gently, running a finger across the little girl's cheek.

Without even realizing he was doing it, the detective bent down towards Carmen, moving very slowly. Closing his eyes, he pressed an incredibly gentle kiss to the little girl's forehead, blushing at his own actions.

"Mmm," Carmen sighed quietly, closing her eyes as Sherlock pressed his lips to her forehead. She turned slightly, pressing her cheek against the detective's arm as she continued drinking. "Hm," she hummed, keeping her eyes closed.

The light, airy noise made the detective smile to himself. Allowing his lips to linger on the little girl's skin, Sherlock took a deep breath, finding Carmen's sweet smell soothing. Lips turned up in a small smile, he pulled away, gazing fondly down at the little girl.

Upon feeling the absence of Sherlock's face close to hers, Carmen rolled back, and opened her eyes, gazing up at the detective with wide, blue eyes.

The two sat in silence, staring at each other while Carmen finished her bottle. "Bbb," she gurgled upon drinking the last of the formula.

"Right... There we go." Gently, Sherlock pulled the bottle out of her mouth, placing it on the ground next to the couch. "Well, then. What shall we do now?" he asked, keeping the little boy in the crook of his arms.

"Dbb," she hummed, reaching her tiny, chubby arms up towards Sherlock's face.

"Hey there!" the detective cooed, talking in a high-pitched voice. He opened his mouth, making comical babbling noises.

"Baaa!" the little girl giggled happily, a wide grin spreading across her face. She clenched her tiny hands open and closed, trying to grab at Sherlock's face.

Smiling, the detective bent his head down, pulling his mouth closed. He tenderly brushed his nose against Carmen's, chuckling in his deep, baritone voice, which only made the little girl giggle more.

Grinning, Carmen reached her hands forward, pressing her tiny hands against the detective's lips.

"Hello, Carmen," he cooed, smiling fondly as the little girl's fingernails brushed against his lips. Without thinking, he pursed his lips, tenderly kissing Carmen's fingers.

Smiling to himself, Sherlock quickly opened his mouth, widening his eyes as he made a quiet "Ahhh" sound. Carmen's eyes widened as she felt the detective's lips fall open. Mouth hanging open in wonder, she pressed he fingers forward, trying to shove them into the detective's now-open mouth.

"Aha! Nope!" Sherlock laughed, quickly pressing his mouth shut again. Carmen froze, blinking quickly as she felt Sherlock's lips pressing against her hands once again, the gaping hole suddenly gone.

She frowned momentarily, pushing as hard as she could against the detective's mouth.

"Almost," Sherlock chuckled quietly, pressing another gentle kiss to Carmen's tiny fingers. Any trepidation forgotten, the little girl's grin returned. She curled her fingers against Sherlock's skin, trying weakly to part his lips.

Smiling lovingly, the detective took one of his hands and moved it to his mouth, wrapping his long fingers around both of Carmen's tiny hands. Chuckling, he gently pulled the little girl's hands away, keeping them loosely wrapped in his own.

"Bbb," she babbled happily, staring up at the detective as he gently placed her hands on her bare chest. As Sherlock started to pull his hand back, Carmen reached out with one of hers, wrapping her fingers around the detective's thumb.

Sherlock's hand stilled upon feeling Carmen's tiny hand grab ahold of his finger. He felt his breath catch in his throat, that same fluttering sensation floating through his stomach and chest.

Trying to catch his breath, Sherlock moved his attention to Carmen, who was staring back at him, a content look on her sweet face. She blinked slowly, taking a deep breath as her fingers tightened around Sherlock's thumb.

"Amazing," the detective murmured out loud, staring fondly down at Carmen.

Suddenly very tired from all of the excitement, and now much more content now that she had eaten, Carmen yawned widely, stretching her small body against Sherlock's arms.

"You're probably tired, hmm?" he whispered, moving back. Tenderly, and trying carefully not to move the hand Carmen had wrapped around his thumb, Sherlock stood up, pulling the little girl onto his chest. "Shhh," he whispered, gently swaying back and forth as he situated Carmen's small form against his still-bare chest.

Murmuring to the little girl, Sherlock slowly meandered into his bedroom, preferring to rest on his bed rather than the couch.

"Okay," he said slowly, lowering himself onto the bed and trying not to jostle Carmen too much.

"Ahhh," she yawned again, pressing her face into Sherlock's skin.

The detective smiled as he moved Carmen's small body up towards his face. "There we go." Using his free hand, he tenderly moved the little girl's head so her face was not pressed face down into his chest.

"Mmm," she sighed happily, now much more comfortable. Eyes drooping, she gazed up at Sherlock, snuggling down into his warm skin.

The corner of his lips turned up in a lovingly smile, Sherlock moved his hand with Carmen's fingers wrapped around his thumb and placed it on his chest, pressing here tiny fingers against the skin. Getting comfortable, he shifted slowly. "Sorry," he apologized quickly upon hearing an unhappy grunt from Carmen.

Getting comfortable once again, the little girl turned her head, facing up at the detective.

"Sleep tight, Carmen," Sherlock murmured, placing his free hand on the back of the little girl's head. He began to very slowly rub his fingertips back and forth across the smooth skin, amazed once again that Carmen's entire head could fit in is palm.

With each gentle brush of Sherlock's fingers, Carmen blinked tiredly, leaning further and further into his chest.

"Hmm," she sighed quietly, her eyes finally sliding shut.

"Goodnight, Carmen," the detective whispered. He leaned down and tenderly pressed his lips to the top of Carmen's head.

"Well," he murmured against the little girl's skin, absentmindedly rubbing his index finger back and forth across the fingers Carmen had wrapped around his thumb. "Day one is almost done, Carmen... I'd say we're doing pretty well so far." He gazed down, smiling fondly as Carmen shifted against him, her small hand now resting on his collarbone.

"Day one..."


	3. Chapter Three

Carmen: Chapter Three

"Sherlock?" John called, bustling up the stairs with several large bags in his hands. He quickly glanced around the flat, but upon seeing no sign of his flat mate, he called again, "Sherlock?"

"Bedroom," came the quiet reply of his friend.

Turning towards Sherlock's bedroom, John quickly dropped the bags on the floor.

"How'd she do?" he asked quietly, entering the detective's room.

"Very well," Sherlock answered, gazing down at the little girl on his chest. "She's been sleeping most of the time you've been gone. What have you gotten?"

"Just some things like food, clothes, nappies. Oh—I also got a cot for her to sleep in while she's here, as well as some toys." John smiled fondly at the little girl sleeping on his flat mate's chest. "I've just got to go get the cot out of the cab. Be right back." The doctor hurried out of the room, already pulling out money to pay the cabbie.

Sherlock chuckled, smiling after the doctor.

"Mmm." Corners of his lips still turned upward, he glanced down at Carmen, who was still sound asleep on his chest, her small body moving up and down as she breathed. Moving as slowly as he could, and keeping the little girl snuggled tightly to his chest, the detective rolled onto his side and—almost reluctantly—placed Carmen on the bed, making sure she was on her back. Slowly rising off the bed, he turned back and placed some of his pillows on the other side of the bed, and then repeated the process on his side as he stood up.

"Be right back," he whispered. He quickly pulled off his robe, draping the warm fabric over Carmen's body. Moving as quietly as he could, he grabbed t-shirt and pulled it on, not bothering to change his trousers.

"Okay," he sighed as he turned back to the bed and gently pulled the tiny girl into his arms. "Let's go help John."

Trying his best not to jostle Carmen, Sherlock walked into the kitchen and meandered over to the many bags lying on the floor. He squatted down and pushed away some of the plastic material to see several plastic bottles as well as several bins of baby formula. He quickly scanned the other bags of shopping, which seemed to consist of baby grows, nappies, wipes, a baby bath and some baby soap.

"Hey, Sherlock! Some help?"

The detective turned upon hearing John bustling up the stairs. He stood up and walked over to the landing to see the doctor, several more bags hanging off of his arms and a large box in his hands struggling up the stairs.

"Here. Just take the bags," he groaned, sliding the shopping into Sherlock's outstretched hand. "Oh… Thanks," he sighed, placing the box on the ground. The detective peered into the bags.

"More diapers? How many could she possibly use?" Sherlock asked incredulously, gazing at John.

The doctor paused, staring at his flat mate with a look that obviously said, _"Really? Are you serious?" _

Suddenly John broke into a fit of laughter.

"What?" Sherlock asked, frustrated that he didn't understand what his friend was laughing at.

"Ohh… I just think you're in for a rude awakening, that's all," John chuckled, wiping at his eyes. "Yes. She will go through all of these nappies at a surprisingly fast rate. To be honest, when she wakes up, she'll probably need a diaper change; I'm amazed she hasn't needed one yet." He smiled at Sherlock, who looked positively disgusted.

"Sherlock," John chuckled. "It's what babies do. Better get used it." He gave the detective a quick clap on the shoulder. "Come on, then. Let's put this thing together," he said, pointing to the baby crib.

"Mmm."

Thirty minutes later, a smug looking Sherlock and a very frustrated looking John was sat on the floor with a competed crib.

"I told you it would fit," the detective said with a proud look on his face as he gently bounced Carmen in his arms.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," John said hurriedly, standing up off the ground. "I know, I know. But at least it's finished." He took a deep sigh, examining his work with a proud nod of his head. "Why don't you try it out?"

"You mean, put her in there?" Sherlock asked reluctantly.

"Yeah! See if she sleeps well in it," John said enthusiastically.

Moving slowly, the detective stood up and gently placed Carmen in the cot.

As he started to pull his hands away, the little girl's features pulled together into an unhappy expression.

"Mmm," she groaned unhappily, thrusting her tiny arms into the air, as if to reach back out for Sherlock.

"Oh! Well hey there," the detective said quietly, immediately reaching forward to pull Carmen back into his arms.

Bleary-eyed, but content now that she was back in Sherlock's arms, the tiny girl yawned, sighing deeply as she gazed up at the detective.

"Do you think she doesn't like it?" Sherlock asked worriedly as he situated Carmen in his arms.

"No, Sherlock. I was only joking. She was just unhappy to be out of your arms, that's all." He gave his friend a reassuring smile. "I say we try our first nappy change, hmm?"

"Ugh," Sherlock groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Yep! Come on," John chuckled, grabbing the bag of nappies and wipes.


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

After having successfully changed his first nappy (with much help from John), Sherlock meandered out of the kitchen, a bottle in one hand, Carmen resting peacefully in the crook of his arm.

"Thank you, John," he said, rather embarrassedly, turning back to give the doctor a small smile.

"You'll get the hang of it," he chuckled. "Oh! Hey, I've got to go! I'm going to be late… Umm… Do you think you'll be okay?"

"Please, John. You think I can't take care of a baby? Yes. We'll be fine."

"Okay," the doctor said skeptically, giving his flat mate a sly smile. "Good luck then. If you need anything, just ring me and I'll be right over. Even if it's late… Bye, Carmen," he said happily, reaching forward to wrap his hands around the girl's tiny ones. He shook them gently, making funny babbling noises, which caused Carmen to giggle and grin.

Smiling at the little girl, John pulled away, releasing Carmen's hands. He gave Sherlock a warm smile. "Right, then," he said quietly. "I'll see you later. Remember, you can call me at any time."

"Thank you, John. I will, but I'm sure we'll be fine. Have a good—you know—time with Mary… On your date," he said awkwardly, eyes downcast. "I'll be sure to call if I need anything."

John smiled at his friend. "Thanks, Sherlock. I'll see you two later." With one last reassuring smile, the doctor turned around and hurried out of the flat.

With the closing of the front door, the flat was suddenly silent except for the quietly babbling of Carmen as she began to chew on her fingers.

Sherlock drew his attention away from the empty stairwell and back to the little girl in his arms. He smiled, chuckling to himself as Carmen continued to gnaw away at her hand.

"Hope they taste good," he chuckled, sitting down in his chair. He grabbed the remote and turned on the television, switching it to a children's show.

"There we go," he said quietly, moving Carmen so she was sitting upright in his lap, leaning back against his stomach.

"Hey, Carmen… See?" Smiling at the little girl, Sherlock pointed to the screen, hoping to draw her attention to the show.

Eventually, upon hearing the noise coming from the television, Carmen gazed up at the cartoons playing on the screen, fingers now forgotten.

"Muuu," she hummed quietly, staring wide-eyed at the screen. Her small head fell back, gently bumping against Sherlock's stomach.

The detective smiled fondly, and wrapped his hand around Carmen's tiny middle, subconsciously playing with her chubby fingers with the other hand.

Suddenly and with a slight gasp, Carmen squealed happily, laughing at the cartoons on the screen. Her head wobbled slightly, brushing against Sherlock's shirt. Chuckling, the detective released Carmen's fingers to help steady her shaky body.

"There you go," he murmured as the little girl regained her balance, still totally entranced by the telly.

She began to laugh again, happily flailing her arms about. Grinning widely, she reached down, wrapping her hand around one of the fingers Sherlock had around her middle.

"Buu!" she cooed happily, leaning her head back to gaze up at the detective with a large smile on her face.

"Hey there," he said happily, giving the little girl a warm smile.

"Baaa," she replied, her grip tightening around Sherlock's finger. She smiled up at Sherlock, and, wobbling greatly, tried to reach for the detective's face with her free hand.

His deep rumble of a laugh filling the flat, Sherlock gently grabbed Carmen's tiny hand in his own. "Got them!" Grinning, he bent down, and pressed a tender kiss to the little girl's fingers.

Deep blue eyes bright with happiness, Carmen's smile slowly faded to be replaced by a peaceful, yet concentrated expression. Her hand subconsciously clenched and unclenched around Sherlock's finger.

"Hello," the detective murmured, gazing down at Carmen with a small smile on his lips. "I wonder what you think about," he mused out loud, eyes scanning the small girl's cute face.

"Mmm," Carmen sighed in response, lips turning up as she continued to stare at the detective. Feeling an unusual warmth in his chest, Sherlock bent forward and pressed a gentle kiss to Carmen's forehead. The little girl's eyes slid shut as she felt the detective's lips press against her skin.

"Hmm..."

Smiling, Sherlock pulled away, and quickly brushed his fingertips over Carmen's cheek.

Suddenly, upon hearing the loud sounds of the television, Carmen turned her head away from Sherlock, now completely engrossed in the telly once again. Her chubby fingers remained wrapped around the detective's finger.

* * *

Several hours later, after having changed many more nappies, made several more bottles and watched far too many ridiculous children's shows to count, Sherlock was lying on the couch, Carmen sitting contently on his chest as she played with the collar of his shirt.

"My, you're tiring," he sighed dramatically, running his fingertips over the small girl's head.

"Mmm," she hummed in response, completely engrossed in playing with the detective's shirt.

Sherlock chuckled light-heartedly, lips twitching upward in a small smile as he studied Carmen. The detective's thoughts were interrupted, though, by the sound of his phone going off. Careful not to move the little girl on his chest too much, Sherlock wrapped his hand around Carmen's middle and reached for his phone with his other hand. He quickly checked the phone. Text from John.

He hurriedly opened the message, worried about why his flatmate might be messaging him.

**By the way, I was just going to suggest that if you run out of things to do, maybe giving her a bath or talk to her until she falls asleep... Just a suggestion. JW **

Sherlock could practically see the doctor smiling smugly, a smirk on his face. He chuckled and quickly texted back a reply with one hand.

**Duly noted. Thanks. SH**

He smiled, quickly tossing the phone away and turned his attention back to Carmen, who was yawning widely, her small face crumpling together.

"What do you say, Carmen?" he chuckled lightly, running his knuckles up and down the little girl's back. "Shall we try a bath?"

The tiny girl stared at him with heavy eyes, grabbing a fistful of the detective's shirt in her small hand as she yawned again.

"I agree. Let's try it." Moving slowly, Sherlock gently transferred Carmen to his arms as he stood up off the couch. He grabbed his phone again, as it occurred to him that he had no idea how to give her a bath. He quickly skimmed the instructions on several websites, coming to a conclusion about how he should go about bathing Carmen.

Snuggling Carmen close, the detective walked into the kitchen and grabbed a small cloth from one of the drawers. Smiling as the little girl yawned again, he quickly started the water running, turning it to warm. As he waited for the sink water to warm up, Sherlock quickly pulled off the babygrow John had convinced him to dress Carmen in, and then took of the little girl's nappy, throwing it away in the bin.

He turned back and tested the water. Concluding it was warm enough, but not too warm to harm Carmen, Sherlock tenderly moved the little girl's small body until her head was in the palm of his hand, her tiny body resting on his forearm.

"Ready?" he murmured quietly, the corner of his lips turning up as Carmen yawned again, the small sound escaping her lips making his chest flood with warmth.

Smiling to himself, Sherlock quickly wet the cloth down and moved it back towards Carmen's body. He hesitated slightly upon seeing the tiny girl staring up at him with heavy eyelids. She started to fuss slightly, squirming in the detective's arms.

"Shhh," Sherlock soothed, pressing the wet washcloth to Carmen's skin. He began to gently move it back and forth across her stomach, glad that it seemed to be calming her down quite a bit.

He slowly turned, placing the wet cloth in the sink and dumped a small amount of baby soap into his hand, careful to keep Carmen safely balanced against his arm. "Here we go," he whispered, slowly moving his hand across Carmen's stomach, rubbing the soap against her skin.

"Mmm," she sighed, soothed by the gentle feel of Sherlock's hand against her skin. She fought to keep her eyelids open as the detective started to rinse her off, rubbing the wet washcloth over her tiny body.

With the sound of the water running in her ears, the feel of the warm cloth against her skin and the sound of Sherlock's deep baritone voice filling the room, Carmen's eyes slowly slid shut as she fell asleep, her head rolling to the side in the detective's hand.

Sherlock smiled as he felt Carmen's body go limp in his arms, her small features pulled together in a peaceful, almost happy, expression.

Trying to make as little noise as possible, the detective slowly rinsed of his hand, and dropped the wet washcloth in the sink.

He grabbed another cloth and began to gently dry off Carmen's wet body. "Hmm," he murmured happily, moving out of the kitchen. Careful not to jostle the little girl too much, Sherlock quickly put a nappy on Carmen before heading to his room. He glanced at the crib, which was still resting, completed, by the window.

Deciding he would rather have Carmen with him, Sherlock moved into his room and laid down the bed, moving the little girl's sleeping form upward on his chest. Figuring she might be cold, he quickly pulled the covers over both of their bodies, and placed his hands on her bare back.

Content to be wrapped in the warmth of Sherlock's arms, Carmen sighed happily, pressing her small form against the detective's chest. She began to murmur in her sleep, lips moving ever so slightly against Sherlock's shirt. The detective smiled at the sensation, and gazed down at the sleeping girl on his chest. He felt that familiar warmth spread through his chest and flutter his stomach.

Smiling lovingly at Carmen, Sherlock took one of the little girl's hands in his own much-larger one and closed his eyes, listening to her steady breathing. He began to absentmindedly rub his thumb across Carmen's small fingers, finding the gentle rise and fall of her chest against his skin oddly soothing.

"Goodnight, Carmen," he murmured contently, smiling as he felt her small form snuggling against him. "Ready for day two..."

With that, the consulting detective slipped away into sleep, Carmen snuggled tightly against his chest, her incredibly tiny hand wrapped safely in his own as their first day together came to a peaceful end.


	5. Chapter Five

**Hey guys! I just wanted to quickly apologize for all of the mistakes in these; they have not been proofread yet. =/ I plan on going back through all of them this weekend and fixing the errors that I know are in there. =) So please excuse those and thanks so much! (Sorry it took so long to update this, by the way. I've had a crazy week!) Thanks guys! =) I really appreciate it!**

Chapter Five

Sherlock was awoken by a stirring on his chest. Slightly confused as to what the source would be, the detective opened his eyes, freezing as he felt something move under his hand.

"Oh," he sighed in relief, remembering that there was now a little girl with him. Smiling to himself, Sherlock gazed down at Carmen, who was shifting against his chest, clenching her hands together in discomfort. She groaned unhappily, pressing her face into the detective's shirt.

"Hello," Sherlock chuckled happily, gently running his fingertips across Carmen's bare back. He shifted slightly, placing one hand under the little girl's bottom, and the other on the back of her head as he sat up on the bed, resting against the headboard. "There we go," he murmured, holding Carmen's small body close to his chest.

"Mmm," the little girl hummed contently, glad to be wrapped in Sherlock's warm embrace. Blinking slowly, she turned in the detective's arms, gazing up at him with tired eyes. Her mouth fell open as she gazed up at Sherlock. "Bbb..." Head wobbling slightly Carmen reached up with a tiny hand, trying to reach the detective's face.

Chuckling to himself, Sherlock leaned his head down, allowing easier access for Carmen's fingers. Keeping one hand safely on her back, the detective wrapped his long fingers around the little girl's wrist, and slowly guided her hand to his lips.

"Mmm-wah!" he said comically, pressing a tender kiss to Carmen's fingers. "I'm going to... Eat them!"

"Ah!" the little girl gasped, wrapping her fingers around Sherlock's thumb as she tired to pull away.

"Mmm!" Grinning, the detective curled his lips inward, gently pressing the tips of Carmen's fingers between them.

"Ah-mm!" Squealing happily, the little girl curled her fingers against Sherlock's lips, attempting to pry them open.

Chuckling at her efforts, and making sure to keep her held close, Sherlock quickly leaned forward, placing Carmen's small body on the bed. Smiling fondly at the little girl, he quickly bent down, and pressed his lips to Carmen's stomach. Making funny cooing noises, he gently blew a raspberry against the little girl's skin, which sent her into a fit of laughs.

Grinning at the light, almost bell-like sound of Carmen's laughter, Sherlock leaned back, staring lovingly at the little girl, whose face was scrunched up in delight as she giggled. He slowly wrapped each of his hands around her small ones and leaned back, this time pressing quick kisses to her cheeks and neck.

"Ahh!" she giggled, grabbing tightly onto the detective's fingers as she tried to catch her breath.

"Hmm," Sherlock chuckled, staring fondly at the little girl in front of him. He took a moment to pause and really look at Carmen's sweet features, absentmindedly rubbing his thumb over the little girl's tiny fingers. He felt his breath catch in his throat as Carmen opened her eyes, the deep blue of her irises staring up at him. Struggling to find his breath again, Sherlock slowly bent down and pressed an incredibly tender kiss to the little girl's forehead.

"Mmm," Carmen hummed happily, closing her eyes as the detective kissed her skin. Keeping her eyes closed, she reached up, releasing her hand from Sherlock's hold, and pressed her fingers to his lips.

"Mmm. Thank you," Sherlock whispered, smiling under Carmen's hand. Using his free hand, the detective quickly brushed the tips of his fingers across the little girl's head. "Come on then," he murmured, gently pulling her back into his arms. "I say we get some food."

Humming to himself, Sherlock placed one hand under Carmen's bottom as he stood up off the bed. He wrapped his fingers around the little girl's hand, and pulled it close to his chest as he slowly meandered out of the room.

Carmen blinked tiredly, leaning her head against Sherlock's arm as he entered the kitchen.

"Ohh," he sighed quietly, hurrying around the kitchen as he started to make a bottle. "Here we go…" Noticing that Carmen was starting to become fussy in his arms, he hurriedly twisted the lid onto the bottle. "I know, I know. You're hungry," he chuckled, hurrying out of the kitchen.

"Okay… Umm… There," he mumbled to himself as he sat down in his chair and moved Carmen to the crook of his arm. He quickly slipped the bottle into her mouth, which was already open in preparation.

"Mmm," she sighed contently, her eyes rolling back as she sucked at the bottle. Sherlock smiled down at the little girl, absentmindedly rocking back and forth.

Eyes fluttering open, Carmen reached up with her arms, placing her hands on either side of the bottle. Eyes sliding shut once again, her chubby fingers curled against Sherlock's fingers.

The detective continued to stare at the little girl, a strange feeling of warmth spreading through his chest.

"Amazing," he murmured out loud. "You can't even speak yet, but already…" He paused, the corner of his lips turning up as he felt that familiar fluttering in his stomach. "Already I'm becoming attached to you… _Amazing_."

Listening to the deep sound of Sherlock's voice, Carmen quickly finished the bottle, resting contently in the crook of the detective's arm.

"Done?" Sherlock asked as he gently tugged the bottle out of Carmen's mouth. "Good. Well! I say we go get dressed, hmm?" he proposed cheerfully, lightly bouncing the little girl in his arms.

"Baa," Carmen cooed happily, reaching her arms up towards the detective.

"Wonderful. Sounds good to me, too." Chuckling as Carmen started to talk to herself, babbling happily, Sherlock left the chair, placing the empty bottle on the ground. Gently bouncing the little girl in his arms, the detective walked over to the kitchen, looking for an outfit for Carmen in the many bags of shopping scattered about the kitchen.

"Really, John?" he asked out loud upon seeing the outfits the doctor had chosen. "Please," he muttered unhappily, snatching a light pink babygrow from one of the bags, concluding it was the least hideous of all of them.

"Don't worry," he huffed indignantly, talking to Carmen, who seemed to be completely oblivious. "As soon as we're able, we will be going out and buying some new—sensible—clothing. No child of mine will ever—"

Sherlock froze, upon realizing what he'd just said. "Oh—Umm," he stuttered, as if he was afraid Carmen could understood him. "I just…" He paused, watching silently as the little girl started to chew happily on her fingers.

Taking a deep breath, Sherlock started to ponder over what he'd said… He knew he wasn't supposed to become attached to Carmen, seeing as she could be taken away at a moment's notice… But there was a strange nagging sensation at the back of the detective's head; a small ray of hope that maybe—just maybe—Carmen might be able to stay with him… In which case she would become his daughter.

Sherlock suddenly found he was having trouble thinking properly; all of his thoughts seemed to be crashing into one another as one word echoed in his mind: daughter. He gazed at Carmen, who, fingers now forgotten, was staring up at the detective with a sweet smile on her face.

Sherlock managed a small smile, subconsciously pulling the little girl's small body closer to his chest. The thought that there was even a remote possibility that the tiny human being in his arms—this person whom he barely even knew yet—could be his _daughter_ made the detective's chest flood with warmth…

"Oh," he sighed in realization as he stared into Carmen's deep blue eyes. "I understand… Love." Without thinking, he quickly bent down and pressed a gentle kiss to the tip of Carmen's nose. "Love," he repeated, almost in awe, lips brushing against the little girl's skin as he spoke. "Simply amazing… You know, Carmen, it may sound crazy, seeing as we've only just met," Sherlock continued, smiling fondly as he made his way to his room. "But I do believe I may be in love with you." He grinned happily as Carmen babbled a response in reply, and, though he clearly knew the little girl could not understand him, Sherlock secretly hoped she was answering him in her own, special way.

"Love," he murmured to himself, unable to stop himself from smiling at the way the words felt on his lips. "I've never really told anyone that before," he told Carmen quietly, that same fluttering feeling dancing in his chest.

"Mmm," the little girl hummed in reply, enjoying the sound of Sherlock's voice. Closing her eyes, Carmen took a deep breath as she turned in the detective's arms, pressing her tiny form against his chest. Sighing contently, she grabbed a tiny fistful of Sherlock's shirt in her hand, leaning her weight into his chest.

As the detective entered his room, she opened her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips as Sherlock continued to speak, his low voice filing the quiet flat.

"You know," he started quietly, gently swaying back and forth as he held Carmen's small body close. "I think we'll be all right. _And_," he lowered his voice to a whisper, "between you and me, I'm usually correct." He smiled fondly as the little girl in his arms started to reply, babbling happily as her lips brushed against his the fabric of his shirt.

"Come on then," he said, smiling as he pressed a quick kiss to Carmen's head. "Let's have a go at day two."


	6. Chapter Six

**Hey guys! Just wanted to say that I am SO SORRY it took me this long to update! I promise, next time should be much sooner. =D Thank you so much! Have a good weekend! =)**

**(Also, please excuse all of the mistakes; this has not been proofread or anything at all, so there are probably many errors! I will go back and fix them as soon as I get the chance this weekend. Thanks!)**

Chapter Six

Sherlock was resting on the couch, Carmen sleeping soundly on his bare chest as his eyes quickly skimmed over his phone. The detective had spent most of the day either resting on the couch while the little girl slept or on the ground, entertaining her time and time again as he tickled her stomach and made faces.

After having laughed herself to exhaustion once again, Carmen quickly fell asleep on the floor, which meant it was time for her to nap, and for Sherlock to take a quick rest. Chuckling to himself as the little girl fell forward in his lap, her head gently bumping against his stomach, the detective pulled her into his arms and made his way back to the couch.

* * *

After having the realization that it was a real possibility that Carmen could be living with him, the detective had been looking for any and all information he could find on young infants. During each resting period, he would quickly pull out his mobile and search the internet until the little girl would wake up once again.

So far he'd learned that it was apparently very important for young babies to have lots of skin-to-skin contact with their parents, as it helped the children to bond and form connections with said parents. And, though at first he'd thought of the idea as rather ridiculous, Sherlock eventually found that he secretly enjoyed having Carmen's small body sleeping sounding against his bare skin. He found it oddly soothing to feel each of her deep breaths against his chest.

The detective had also learned that babies also require large amounts of attention from their parents, and, to help with development, should be cuddled and held and encouraged as much as possible. Though this was clearly not the case, Sherlock had started to worry that he might not have been holding Carmen as much as she needed, or giving her enough attention. He had then silently vowed to devote the rest of the day to playing with her as much as possible and spending time with her.

He had also become rather excited upon learning that it was good for infants to watch their parents while they were working, or doing simple things such as cooking, or cleaning. This meant it would actually be good for Carmen's development to watch him work on cases. He was very excited at the prospect of being able to introduce her to his world; show her what he did; fill her new, untouched mind with with as much information as he could...

Sherlock had become lost in his thoughts as his eyes continued to skim the screen of his mobile. His fingertips gently ghosted over the top of Carmen's small head, tenderly brushing against the soft skin as he read. He smiled absentmindedly as Carmen's small fingers curled against his skin.

He jumped suddenly, though, as his mobile buzzed in his hands, a loud "ring!" shattering the peace and quiet of the flat.

"What?" he asked hurriedly, thrusting the phone to his hear in the hope that it had not woken Carmen up. But it was too late. Sherlock groaned into the phone as he felt the little girl start to fuss against his skin, heard her start to moan as she pressed her small face into his chest.

"Wonderful," he sighed, talking to Lestrade, who was on the other end of the line. "You woke her up."

"Oh—Um, sorry!" the Inspector answered quickly. "It's just—I—Ugh! There's some new information on the case I want you to look at; I've just e-mailed it to you.

"Okay," Sherlock replied distractedly, trying to shush the fussing girl on his chest. "Good. Fine. I'll uhh...Yes."

"Right. Sorry, again!" Lestrade apologized once more. "Well I'll uhh... Leave you to it, then. Sorry!" With a gentle click, Greg was gone, leaving the detective alone with a now-very-unhappy baby.

Sherlock quickly tossed the phone away, using his free hand to try and console Carmen by running his fingertips up and down her back.

"Shh," he soothed gently, stand up off the couch. "Carmen, it's okay. Shh." Whispering quietly, Sherlock slowly moved the little girl, who was now wailing, over his shoulder. "I'm right here," he told her gently, placing one hand to the back of her tiny head.

Hoping to soothe Carmen, whose hands were now flailing unhappily in the air, the detective began to slowly pace around the flat, lightly bouncing her up and down in his arms. "Shh, Carmen. Please, it's okay, shh." Sherlock turned his head as he whispered, and the top of his cheek gently brushed against the little girl's head. "Hey," he whispered slowly, pressing a tender kiss to the top of Carmen's brow. "It's okay..." The detective quickly removed his hand from her back and brushed his fingertips across the top of her head. He smiled in spite of himself at the feel of the little girl's soft skin against his fingers.

Carmen was having none of it, though. Despite the detective's efforts to calm her down, the little girl only continued to scream, waving her fists in the air as she squirmed in Sherlock's arms. Clearly displeased with the situation, she started to lightly bang her fists against the detective's shoulder, pressing her face into his neck as she cried. One her hands gently bumped against Sherlock's head. Upon feeling the soft sensation, she stopped, the loud crying ceasing as she turned her face against the detective's skin to gaze up at her hand.

Sherlock smiled as he saw the little girl's eyes widen in amazement upon seeing his curly hair for the first time. Instantly she seemed to calm down, sniffling to herself as she stared at the detective's raven hair. Face pulled together in concentration, Carmen began to move her chubby fingers, grabbing a lock of hair in her hands. With a tiny grunt, she tried to scoot herself up, tugging slightly on Sherlock's scalp as she pulled at his curls.

"Hey, hey, hold on," the detective chuckled, wrapping his long fingers around the little girl's tiny hand. Smiling warmly, Sherlock walked back to the couch, and laid down, moving Carmen's tiny body so she was sitting on the top of his shoulder, her back resting against the back of the couch. "There you go," he murmured, reaching up to wrap a hand around her tiny waist, steadying her.

Sighing in amazement, Carmen leaned forward, pressing her chubby hands to Sherlock's face as she stared at his hair. The detective smiled, chuckling quietly at the feel of the little girl's fingers splayed across his lips and cheekbone.

"Mmm," Carmen hummed, scooting forward until she was practically sitting on top of Sherlock's face. Mumbling to herself, the small girl removed her hand from the detective's lips, moving it to his curly hair. Her other hand slid upwards until it was resting against one of his eyebrows. Sherlock watched with a fond look in his eyes as Carmen slowly pressed her chubby fingers to his curls. He absentmindedly rubbed his thumb up and down against her stomach.

Her mouth hanging open in wonder, and a small smile playing on her lips, Carmen began to twirl Sherlock's raven curls in her hand, giggling happily at the feel of it in her hands. Squealing with happiness, she pulled her hands away, and clapped them together, looking cheerfully at Sherlock.

"Ahh!" she cheered, pointing to his hair.

"Yes," the detective chuckled, smiling lovingly at the little girl. "I know." He quickly tickled her tiny stomach, sending her into another fit of giggles.

Trying to catch her breath, and still grinning, Carmen turned her attention back to the detective's hair, pressing her fingers to the soft curls. "Baah!" she sighed happily, grabbing some of the dark hair in her tiny hands. She examined it with her deep blue eyes, pressing her face closer to Sherlock's as she smiled.

The detective watched lovingly as Carmen played with his hair, enjoying the gentle feel of the little girl's fingers. His lips quirked up into a smile and, moving slowly, he turned his face and pressed a tender kiss to the corner of Carmen's lips.

"Mmm," the little girl hummed in response, closing her eyes as the detective gave her a kiss. Hair now forgotten, she released the raven curls, and turned her attention back to Sherlock's face, pressing one of her hands to his jaw, the other to his lips.

"Hello, there," he murmured quietly, pressing a loving kiss to the fingers pressing against his lips. "You're pretty cute," he added, more to himself.

Carmen smiled in response, and leaned/fell forward onto Sherlock's face. Mimicking what she'd just seen him do, she pursed her lips as she rested against his face, giving the detective a tiny kiss.

Sherlock smiled, feeling a warmth spread across his cheek where Carmen had just kissed his skin. He closed his eyes, blinking slowly as the little girl rested against his face.

"Thank you, Carmen," he whispered, moving to place a tender hand to the back of her head. The little girl smiled in response, taking a deep breath as her hands curled against the detective's skin. "Baa," she gurgled happily, trying to push herself away from Sherlock's face.

"Here we go." With careful hands, Sherlock gently pulled the little girl's tiny body away from his face, setting her on his chest. He kept one hand around her tiny waist, and placed the other on her back for support. She sat, staring contently at the detective as she leaned back into his touch, her head wobbling unsteadily as she sat.

"Hi there," he said gently, giving her a warm smile.

The two were interrupted by the sound of Sherlock's phone "binging" once. He quickly found the discarded mobile, keeping one hand wrapped firmly around Carmen's middle, and then opened the e-mail Lestrade had sent him. Smiling excitedly as he quickly read the new details of the case, the detective shoved the phone into his pocket, mind racing as he turned his attention back to the little girl sitting on his stomach.

"Well!" he said excitedly, sitting up on the couch. He gently placed Carmen in his lap, grinning down at her. "Come on, then! We have a case to solve."

* * *

Several minutes later, Sherlock was dressed in his signature suit, Carmen was sitting in her baby carriage, facing the detective who was pacing back and forth, hands pressed together in front of his face. She stared up at him with wide eyes, watching in awe as he started to talk to himself.

"Why? Why did she die? There must... Of course there is. Stupid. Okay... So she was... No. Incorrect. Further data required..."

Carmen started to giggle to herself, squealing happily as she watched Sherlock.

The detective paused, stopping mid-pace to turn and look at the little girl. Despite his frustration with the case, the corner of Sherlock's lips turned up into a smile as he watched Carmen giggling up at him.

"Buu!" she cried happily, reaching her arms forward towards the detective, straining against the restraints around her small body.

"Of course," Sherlock murmured, smiling down at the little girl. Chuckling at her excitement, the detective moved towards her baby carriage, kneeling down on the ground. "Ohhh," he sighed, pulling the little girl out of her baby seat. "You think I'm funny, hmm?" he asked comically, gently tickling Carmen's stomach.

"Ahh," the little girl giggled happily, falling forward in the detective's arms to press her hands to his mouth. "Muu," she told him, pushing her fingers against his lips as a way of silencing him.

"Okay, okay," Sherlock chuckled, pressing a quick kiss to her hands. "Point made." He gave the little girl a slight nod of his head.

Clearly pleased now, Carmen smiled and leaned back in the detective's arms. Sherlock smiled, careful to support her unsteady figure with a hand on the little girl's back. "There we go. Now. About this case... Let's see... Well I suppose I should bring you up to speed on everything that's happened. Hmm... Well, first there was the..."

The detective paced around the flat, keeping Carmen close to his chest as the two "solved" their first case together.

* * *

It was nearly a week later when Sherlock finally received the call he'd been waiting for.

"Yes, Lestrade?" he asked, picking up his ringing mobile. He was seated in his chair with Carmen sitting contently in his lap, her back resting against his stomach as they watched a children's TV show together.

Before the DI had even said a word, the detective could sense something was different. He sat up, subconsciously pulling Carmen's small body closer. "Yes? What is it, what have you found?" he asked hastily, desperate to hear the Inspector's words.

"Well," Lestrade began darkly, taking a deep breath on the other end of the line. Sherlock tensed, expecting the worse. He grasped tightly onto Carmen's small body, a strong sense of protection burning in his stomach.

"Well?"

"Well... It would appear that there are no living relatives capable of taking care of Carmen." Sherlock could hear Lestrade smiling at the other end of the line. "Some paperwork and she's all yours!"

Sherlock felt an overwhelming sense of relief rush through his body. He exhaled deeply, staring at down at the little girl on his lap with thankful eyes. Carmen, who had clearly sensed the change in mood, was staring up at the detective, deep blue eyes wide with worry.

"It's okay," Sherlock breathed, bending down to press a tender kiss to the top of her head. "It's all okay... Thank you, Lestrade," he added, grinning widely in relief. "Oh... I just... Sorry, I'm—I don't—"

"It's okay, Sherlock," Lestrade chuckled. "I understand. You don't need to explain. How about your brother and I see if we can't take care of as much as possible, huh?"

Sherlock chuckled, his deep, rumbling voice filling the otherwise-quiet flat. Upon hearing the soothing noise, Carmen relaxed, leaning back and snuggling against the detective's stomach.

"Thank you, Lestrade," he chuckled gratefully. "It uh... Means—a lot, so umm... Yes. Good. I'll head over to the Yard as soon as possible."

"Great! Sounds good. I'll see you two soon."

"Yes." Grinning in relief, Sherlock quickly tossed the phone away and turned his attention to Carmen, who was resting peacefully against his stomach.

"Oh!" he cried, unable to contain his excitement and joy. Pulling the little girl into his arms, Sherlock practically hopped off of the chair. Laughing and grinning, the detective danced around the room, pressing tender kisses to Carmen's cheeks, her stomach, her nose and her hands.

Glad for the affection, the little girl grinned, giggling happily in Sherlock's arms. She reached up, grabbing ahold of the detective's collar and pressed her face into his collarbone, smiling happily. "Baa!" she said cheerfully, talking into his skin.

"Ohh," Sherlock sighed, pressing Carmen's tiny body close to his chest. "Finally," he whispered, pausing in the middle of the room to press his face into the top of the little girl's head. He took a deep breath, reveling in Carmen's sweet smell and the feel of her smooth skin against his cheek.

"I love you," he murmured, closing his eyes as he hugged her close to his chest. The little girl sighed against his skin, almost as if she could understand what the detective had told her. "I love you, Carmen," he whispered again, pressing a tender kiss to her head. He pulled back, rubbing his hand up and down her tiny back. "Daughter," he murmured in amazement, trying the new word out on his tongue. He smiled at the feel of it. "Come on then," he said, giving her a gentle pat on the back. "Let's go."

* * *

Carmen slept throughout the entire cab ride to the yard, sleeping soundly against Sherlock's chest. The detective was practically bouncing with excitement and anxiousness throughout the entire ride, absentmindedly running his fingers over the little girl's head as he glanced out of the windows, willing the cab to move faster.

When the cab finally pulled up outside of Scotland Yard, seeing how cold it was outside, Sherlock tucked the still-sleeping Carmen inside his coat, allowing her to continue to sleep peacefully. The detective quickly paid the cab driver, and with the little girl wrapped warmly in his arms, made his way through the doors.

* * *

By the time Sherlock reached Lestrade's office, he had managed to get past all of the workers without having them suspect a thing; Carmen had remained sleeping the entire time, and she was safely concealed by his coat.

"Oh! Hey there... Umm... Where is she?" Lestrade asked as the detective entered his office, clearly very confused as to where the little girl might of have gone. "Sherlock, you didn't leave her at home did you?" he cried, hurrying forward. He stopped upon seeing Sherlock open his coat to reveal a very tiny baby, sleeping soundly. The Inspector couldn't help but feel guilty as he saw the look of complete hurt on the detective's face.

"Sorry," he apologized quietly, eyes downcast in embarrassment.

"It's fine," Sherlock whispered quietly, trying to conceal the strange sense of hurt he felt. "Nevermind. Do you have the umm..."

"Oh! Right. Yes of course! Actually, I only need you to sign some papers for me, I guess. Your brother somehow already knew about the case and the little girl and everything. And when I called, he informed me everything had been taken care of and was in order and just faxed these over. Said all he needs is your signature." The Inspector passed a small pile of papers over to Sherlock, who, trying not to wake the sleeping baby in his arms, managed to cradle her with one arm as he took the stack with his other hand.

The detective rolled his eyes as he saw a note stuck to the front of the stack that read: You owe me. MH

Sherlock chuckled to himself, shaking his head as he moved towards Lestrade's desk, placing the papers on the wood.

"Here you go," Greg said cheerfully, passing a pen over to the detective.

Almost shaking with anticipation, and keeping Carmen close to his chest, Sherlock signed everything Lestrade told him to, trying to conceal his excitement and nervousness. Just as he was about to sign the last sheet, there came a bustling from behind him. Brows pulled together in confusion, he turned around to see a very flustered-looking John barging into the office.

"Wait! No!" he sighed in exasperation. "I wanted to be here for it... Oh well. Umm... Congratulations!" he told Sherlock cheerfully, hurrying up to give him a friendly pat on the back. "Sorry I missed it," he whispered, giving both the detective and Greg a friendly smile. "Have you finished yet?"

"No, not yet. Just on the last page actually."

"Oh! Great! Well, I'll let you get to it, then." Grinning in excitement for his friend, the doctor backed away, smiling fondly as he saw little Carmen snuggled tightly against Sherlock's chest.

Chuckling at his former flat mate, the detective turned back to the last sheet of paper. With a deep breath, and an excited smile, he quickly scrawled his signature across the line.

"Congrats!" Lestrade called happily as Sherlock finished signing the last piece of paper, finalizing everything.

Trying to keep his usual composure, the detective flashed the Inspector a friendly smile, but was unable to contain his excitement as he saw John grinning at him. Practically laughing with excitement, Sherlock smiled widely at the doctor, running his hand up and down Carmen's tiny back.

He gazed down at the sleeping girl, a strange sense of happiness coursing through his veins as he realized that she was now his daughter. "Amazing," he chuckled, smiling lovingly at the little girl.

"I know," John whispered quietly, giving his friend a warm smile. "It is, isn't it?"

"Mmm," Sherlock hummed in reply, suddenly finding it hard to breath as he stared down at his daughter. The thought made him grin; made that fluttering feeling dance around his chest.

Seeing his friend's amazement, John gave Greg a quick smile before walking up to the detective. "Come on, then. Let's get you two home." He placed a gentle hand on Sherlock's shoulder, pulling the detective back to the present.

"Hmm? Oh. Yes, of course. Thank you, John." Finding everything around him was suddenly becoming hazy, Sherlock allowed himself to be led out of the office by John, who was chuckling at the dazed look on his friend's face.

"Thank you, Greg," he called back to the Inspector, who was putting the paperwork back in order.

"What? Oh, right! Not a problem," he chuckled, understanding that though John had said the apology, it was meant to be from Sherlock.

* * *

"You're sure you're going to be okay?" John asked hesitantly, standing in the sitting room of his old flat as he stared at Sherlock, who had yet to pull his gaze away from Carmen's sleeping form.

"Of course, John. I've already been taking care of her for a week, and so far I've managed to keep her alive," the detective answered sarcastically, shooting the doctor a dithering look. "Please."

John chuckled, shaking his head. "I wasn't talking about her. I was talking about you. You just seem a little... Off, that's all. But as long as you think you're okay?"

"Well of course I'm okay!" Sherlock replied matter-of-factly, looking confusedly at his friend. "Why on earth wouldn't I be?"

"No reason," John chuckled, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. "It was just a question, that's all. Not a big deal... Okay, then! Well, I suppose I'm going to be off, then. Mary's at home by herself with Hunter and she asked me to hurry back as soon as possible. So I'll see you two later then."

"Right, of course. Thank you, John," Sherlock said gratefully, smiling at his friend. "You've been a uhh... A big help. So thank you." The detective gave his friend a small smile as he absentmindedly bounced Carmen's sleeping form in his arms.

The doctor smiled back. "Of course," he whispered. "Remember," he added, turning over his shoulder to call back as he made his way down the stairs. "You can ring me anytime if you need something."

"Yes, yes, I know, John, thank you." There was the sound of the doctor's laughter, and the front door swinging shut before the flat was enveloped in silence, only the sound of Carmen's tiny breaths filling the room.

Suddenly, now that he was alone with the little girl, as he gazed down at her sleeping form, Sherlock felt a tremendous weight bear down on his chest as he came to the true realization that Carmen was now his daughter... This tiny human being was now his responsibility to look after and raise and care for and love.

Trying to find his breath, the detective quickly sat down on the couch, feeling as if his legs were going to fall out from under him.

"A daughter," he murmured quietly, managing to find his voice as he gazed down at the little girl. "Daughter..." That familiar fluttering spread across his chest and into his stomach as he tenderly brushed his fingertips across Carmen's forehead.

"I hope you like it here," he whispered, bending down to press an incredibly gentle kiss to the little girl's brow. "I know it's going to get crazy at times. And probably a bit unusual. But I hope you always know, and I hope that I'm always able to show you, that you will always have my love... Forever... It's very difficult to explain, feeling so much emotion towards you, even though we've barely known each other. But somehow, I just have this feeling that this is the right thing to do." Sherlock paused, smiling lovingly as Carmen shifted in his arms, one of her tiny hands clutching his shirt, the other resting against his own hand.

"I love you, Carmen," he whispered, staring with loving eyes at the little girl. "I love you... My daughter."


	7. Chapter Seven

**Okay. So I just want to give a huge apology for being an awful updater lately with this story! I just had something really big with school that just ended today, so hopefully this fic will become easier to write for, and I'll be updating more than once a week! So, in an effort to make up for the long wait, I've given you a longer chapter full of fluff! I hope you enjoy it! (Again, I'm so sorry, guys!) Have a great weekend! =) Hope to update much sooner! **

**P.S. Thank you very much to all who have reviewed, favorited and are following! It means so much! =)**

Chapter Seven

Sherlock was awoken by the sound of Carmen's crying.

"Carmen," he groaned, rolling over in the bed to face her cot. Opening his eyes, and trying to blink away his sleep, the detective heaved a sigh. "Okay, okay," he whispered, bending over the side of the cot to pull his daughter's tiny body out. She was wailing, her face red and scrunched together as she swung her tiny arms about, bumping against Sherlock's hands in the process.

It had been nearly a week since the detective had technically "adopted" Carmen, and since that night, he'd gotten little to no sleep, a mixture of cases and his daughter's cries forbidding him from getting rest.

Yawning widely, Sherlock pulled Carmen close to his chest, leaning back against the headrest and closing his eyes as he ran his fingertips across the back of her soft head. "What seems to be the problem?" he murmured, peering down at the screaming girl on his chest.

In response, Carmen paused, taking a moment to gaze up at Sherlock with watery eyes. She sniffled loudly, sticking her lip out as another tear slid down her cheek.

Every time Carmen cried, Sherlock couldn't help but feel a little pang of sadness and guilt twinge in his chest. Staring down at the little girl with sad eyes, the detective took notice of the way his daughter was gripping tightly onto his shirt with her tiny fists. "Carmen?" he whispered, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. He frowned slightly upon feeling how warm she felt.

Thinking she was probably overheated from the babygrow she was wearing, Sherlock leaned forward, placing Carmen's tiny body on the bed. "Here we go," he murmured, gently unbuttoning the fabric. He quickly checked her nappy, but frowned once again when he noticed she was clean. So far, the source of the little girl's crying had always come from either a soiled nappy or hunger.

"Overreacting," Sherlock muttered, silently scolding himself. "You're probably just hungry, hmm?" he asked, pulling Carmen back into his arms.

Yawning once again, and gently bouncing his daughter in the crook of his arm, the detective left the bed, and slowly made his way into the kitchen, humming to himself as he walked.

Upon feeling her father's comforting embrace, Carmen seemed to calm down, relaxing into Sherlock's arms, a fistful of the detective's shirt still clutched tightly in her hand. She groaned quietly, squeezing her eyes shut in discomfort, her grip tightening.

"Hey," Sherlock whispered, stopping just as he entered the kitchen. Brows furrowed in worry, he glanced down at the little girl, placing a comforting hand to the back of her head. "It's all right," he reassured gently, bending down to press a tender kiss to the tip of her nose. "Shh..."

A small frown still on her face, Carmen opened her deep blue eyes, reaching her free hand up towards Sherlock, and splayed her tiny fingers across the detective's cheek. "Muu," she sighed, fingers curling against her father's skin.

"Hmm," Sherlock hummed in reply, keeping his head bent low towards Carmen's face. His raven hair brushed against her forehead as he smiled under her touch. "Better?"

Though he'd once been embarrassed by talking out loud to the little girl, the detective now found that he talked to her often, usually asking questions, though he knew she couldn't answer, and speaking to her about complications on cases.

"Come on then," he added, murmuring as he pressed another quick kiss to Carmen's cheek.

Keeping his daughter snuggled close to his chest, Sherlock glided around the kitchen, quickly making a bottle for the little girl. Knowing that he would probably be up with her for a little while longer, if not for the rest of the night, with bottle in hand, Sherlock sat down in his chair, settling into the welcoming cushions. Smiling down at the little girl in his arms, the detective gently moved Carmen to the crook of his arm, giving her the bottle of formula.

She fussed slightly, refusing to drink the milk, and tried to shove Sherlock's hand away with her own. "Come on now, Carmen," the detective murmured, trying once again.

Almost reluctantly, the little girl latched on and began to suck at the creamy formula.

"There you go," Sherlock whispered, brushing his thumb over the top of Carmen's smooth cheek as he held the bottle. He smiled lovingly as she reached up, wrapping her incredibly tiny fingers around his hand. The detective felt that familiar fluttering in his stomach as Carmen stared up at him with tired eyes, gripping onto his hand. He smiled down at his daughter, absentmindedly rocking back and forth with the little girl resting peacefully in his arms.

And, despite the tiredness he always seemed to feel, Sherlock rather enjoyed staying up into the late hours of the night and morning, gently rocking Carmen in his arms, which was quickly becoming becoming a nightly recurrence.

"You know," the detective whispered, tenderly brushing the tips of his fingers over the little girl's cheek. "I never imagined myself as a... Well as a father... However..." Sherlock paused as Carmen yawned widely, finished with the bottle and reached up, trying to grab ahold of her father. Smiling, the detective placed the bottle on the ground and stood up, resting Carmen's tiny form against his chest. "However," he continued, leaning down to place a tender kiss to the top of her head. "Now? I wouldn't trade it for the world," he whispered.

"Mmm," the little girl hummed contently, her eyes sliding shut as she shifted in the detective's arms. "Mah..." With a deep breath, she reached up, resting her hand just below Sherlock's jaw; her small fingernails gently scraped against the detective's skin.

Smiling at the sweet sensation, Sherlock wrapped his long fingers around Carmen's incredibly tiny hand and moved, pressing her fingers to his lips. He smiled against her palm as he pressed a gentle kiss to her hand. "Mmm... Thank you, Carmen," he murmured against her skin, gazing down at her sleepy form. He couldn't help but smile as Carmen tried to open her eyes, responding to the sound of his voice. "Goodnight, love," he whispered lovingly, gently pressing his daughter's tiny fingers to his lips once again.

* * *

It was the next day when, after having woken up several more times during the night, that Carmen seemed to notice her father's face for the first time.

The two were seated on the ground, Sherlock mulling over a particularly frustrating case as the little girl rested in his lap, leaning back against his stomach. She had started to chew happily on one of his fingers, listening with wide eyes as the detective murmured to himself, enjoying the sound of his deep, rumbling voice.

"The car... It has to be in the car... Yes... No. Ugh! Okay... He went _there_ first... Picked her up... Killed her... Hmm... So it _has_ to be the car!" Opening his eyes, Sherlock sighed, taking a deep breath and turned his attention down to the little girl resting in his lap. "Yes," he sighed dramatically, gently tickling her stomach as he tried to push away the thoughts of the case, wanting to focus more on his daughter. "The car!" The detective couldn't help but smile as Carmen started to giggle, pulling his hand out of her mouth to gaze up at him with cheerful eyes.

"Hello," he chuckled, bending down to press a soft kiss to her nose, which only caused her to giggle more.

"Mahh!" she giggled, reaching up to grab ahold of the detective's nose with her tiny hands.

"Ohh no!" Sherlock cried comically, bending his head closer to Carmen's face. "You've got me," he chuckled, blowing a gentle raspberry on her cheek. The detective grinned at the little girl, tenderly detaching her tiny fingers from his face and holding them safely in his hands. "Got you," he murmured, smiling affectionally at Carmen as he gently shook her hands back and forth.

"Mmm," she sighed, a sweet smile playing over her lips as she stared contently at Sherlock, wobbling slightly as she caught her breath. Sighing quietly, Carmen gazed into her father's eyes and, suddenly, the small smile slipped from her face as her tiny eyes moved back and forth over the detective's face.

"What is it?" Sherlock murmured quietly, taking notice of the change in his daughter's demeanor. "Hmm? What are you thinking about..." he pondered out loud, brushing his thumb over the little girl's stomach. A fond look on his face, the detective slowly stood up, moving Carmen onto his chest, keeping her tiny hands wrapped in his own.

Eyebrows pulling together in concentration, Carmen fell forward, pressing her fingers to Sherlock's face. She appeared to be studying his features, her mouth hanging open as her eyes grew wide with wonder. "Buu?" she seemed to be asking, staring into the detective's eyes as her hand gently rested against her father's sculpted cheek.

"What is it?" Sherlock murmured, trying to understand what Carmen was asking him. He tenderly pressed his fingertips over the little girl's hands.

"Mmm," Carmen replied, closing her hand as if she was trying to grab Sherlock's cheekbone. She bounced impatiently in the detective's arms, fussing slightly as she pulled her face together in a frown.

"What?" Sherlock repeated quietly, closing his fingers around his daughter's tiny hand.

As if she knew she was not going to be understood, Carmen sighed deeply, relaxing in her father's arms. A focused look returning to her face, she moved her other hand up to the detective's face, leaning back slightly in her father's arms.

"Ohh," Sherlock sighed gently, placing his hand on her back as she leaned in his arms. "There we go," he breathed, steadying her with his hand. The detective couldn't help but smile as he realized how small his daughter was; he noticed for the first time that his hand covered Carmen's entire back.

With a serious face, the little girl started to rub her tiny fingers up at down Sherlock's cheek, gently scraping against his skin. With wonder in her eyes, and a small smile turning up the corners of her lips, Carmen started to move her incredibly small hand over her father's face, taking in his features for the first time.

"Uhhhm," she hummed contently to herself, brushing her fingers over the detective's lips. She giggled quietly to herself as Sherlock smiled against her skin, pressing another tender kiss to her hand.

"Maah," she told him happily, gently tracing the curve of his lips with her tiny fingers. With an intent gaze, Carmen moved to his other cheek, gasping quietly as her hand fit perfectly in the hollow just under his cheekbone. With wide eyes, she stared up into Sherlock's grey ones, an almost questioning look on her face as she softly pushed her hand against the detective's skin.

Sherlock chuckled at the awe on his daughter's face, running his fingers up and down her back.

"I know," he murmured, giving her a loving, reassuring smile.

With a small sigh, Carmen smiled at her father and reached further up, trying to touch his eyes. When her arm was not long enough, however, she frowned, whining unhappily in his arms.

"It's okay," Sherlock chuckled, gently patting her on the bottom. "I've got it." Trying to soothe the little girl, Sherlock slowly rubbed tiny circles up and down her back, and moved to the couch, stretching out over it as he placed Carmen on his chest. "There you go," he murmured, scooting the little girl's small form closer to his face. With careful hands, the detective gently guided his daughter's hand until it was near his eye, helping her to continue with her previous task.

Upon realizing she now had access to her father's eyes, as she had wanted before, Carmen grinned happily, haphazardly clapping her hands together in happiness. "Ahh!" she squealed, eagerly pressing the palms of her hands over Sherlock's eyes as she giggled.

"Okay, okay," the detective chuckled, squinting his eyes shut as Carmen pressed her fingers over one of them. "Here." Smiling and blinking quickly as the little girl was now practically sitting on his face, Sherlock reached up, moving one of her tiny hands to his cheek, gently flattening the palm of her other hand against his closed eye.

"Mmm." Smiling contently, Carmen resumed what she was doing, and, with concentrated eyes, started to rub her small finger over Sherlock's eyelid. The smile slowly fading from her lips as her mouth fell open in awe, the little girl stared intently at her father's face, tracing her fingers over his eyebrow. "Ahh..." With a delicate touch, Carmen gently tapped Sherlock's eyelid.

Smiling to himself, the detective slowly opened his eyes and found himself staring into his daughter's incredible blue irises. "Hello," he murmured gently, smiling lovingly at the little girl's sweet face. Mimicking his daughter, Sherlock slowly reached up with one hand, brushing his thumb over Carmen's light eyebrow.

Smiling contently, the little girl closed her eyes, leaning into her father's gentle touch.

Eyebrows pulling together as he stared intently at his daughter's peaceful face, Sherlock tenderly whispered, "I love you, Carmen." He leaned up, pressing a soft kiss to her chubby cheek.

From then on, Sherlock couldn't help but smile every time he noticed how Carmen's eyes would light up when she saw his face, recognizing him and the features she had so thoroughly examined.

* * *

Over the next few months, Sherlock had managed to get both him and Carmen into a sort of routine. The little girl had finally started to sleep through the night, and was now resting less and less during the day, giving the detective much-deserved peace and rest at night.

Though he'd never expected to feel such an attachment to the little girl, Sherlock found he felt an overwhelming sense of love for his daughter, unable to imagine life without her.

Carmen was growing steadily, her impossibly dark blue eyes seeming to grow even darker, and a small amount of light brown hair growing in curls on her head. Though she had grown some, it was clear to Sherlock that the little girl was going to be a smaller individual... And, though he would never admit it, the detective found he didn't mind, secretly glad to be able to cuddle her small form close...

* * *

"Come on... Yes! That's it! You're so close, Carmen!" Sherlock praised excitedly, a wide grin on his face. The detective was lying on his belly in the sitting room, arms outstretched in front of him as he smiled at Carmen, who had just started to crawl for the first time. "That's it," Sherlock murmured, smiling wistfully at his daughter. "Here, Carmen," he added, cooing gently at the little girl.

"Mmm-baa," she hummed determinedly, face scrunched together in concentration as she tried to reach her father, crawling slowly across the floor. She looked up, head wobbling slightly as she stared at Sherlock. Upon seeing how far away the detective still appeared to be, Carmen frowned, and she stopped her efforts, face scruncing up as she started to cry, stretching her tiny body towards her father.

"Carmen," Sherlock chuckled, giving a tiny shake of his head. He smiled sadly at the little girl and silently scooted forward, putting himself closer to Carmen's body as she tried to crawl her way to him. "Hey," he whispered, trying to get his daughter's attention and stop her crying. "Can you look here, hmm? Look at Daddy for me, okay?" he cooed gently, stretching his arms towards her once again.

"Hmm?" the little girl sniffled, lifting her head from where she had placed it on the ground. Once she saw how much closer her father appeared to be, Carmen's eyes lit up and a large grin graced her lips. That same determination in her deep blue eyes, the little girl started to push herself forward, slowly crawling towards Sherlock.

"Yes! Oh, very good, Carmen!" the detective cheered, grinning as the little girl moved closer and closer. "You can do it, love!"

Grinning widely at her father's encouraging words, Carmen grunted quietly as she determinedly moved herself forward, desperately trying to reach the detective's outstretched arms.

"That's it... Yes! Just a little... Bit... More... Yes, you did it!" Sherlock cried as Carmen crawled into his outstretched arms, a triumphant grin on her face. Unable to contain his happiness, the detective quickly scooped his daughter into his arms and stood up, pressing quick kisses to her cheeks and hair as he danced around the room, feeling incredibly proud of his daughter's first big milestone.

"Oohh," he sighed, collapsing onto the couch and pulling Carmen into a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you, Carmen," he murmured, pressing a long, tender kiss to the little girl's brow. "You're growing up... Hmm... You did so well."

"Mmm..." Carmen sighed contently, settling into her father's comforting embrace. Taking a deep breath, the little girl pressed her face into the detective's shoulder, smiling happily at her achievement.

"I love you," Sherlock murmured, pressing a gentle hand to the back of his daughter's head. He bent down, smiling as he felt the little girl nuzzle against his skin, and placed another loving kiss to her head. "So very proud of you..." With a bittersweet sadness constricting his chest, Sherlock turned his head, letting his cheek rest against the top of Carmen's soft curls. He took a deep breath, reveling in the sweet baby smell that still clung to her skin.

Smiling fondly at the little girl, Sherlock pulled back, gazing down at his daughter. He felt that familiar fluttering brush across his chest as he saw the perfectly content smile on Carmen's sweet face, her eyes closed as she breathed steadily, a tiny fistful of his shirt clutched in her hand.

A tender look in his eyes, the detective watched the little girl as she rested, smiling even more as she shifted, snuggling into his comforting touch. "You're so precious," he murmured, running a quick hand up and down her back.

"Mmm-hmm," Carmen hummed, giving a small nod of agreement.

Sherlock chuckled, gazing fondly at his daughter. "You agree, hmm? Good." Smiling, and keeping Carmen's form snuggled tightly against his chest, the detective slowly stood up. "Well!" he declared, gently bouncing the little girl in his arms. "I say we celebrate, hmm? Ice cream?"

In response, Carmen grinned, showcasing the few teeth she had. Giggling happily, the little girl bounced up and down in her father's arms, gripping tightly onto his shirt as she laughed.

"My thoughts exactly," Sherlock chuckled, pressing another quick kiss to Carmen's head.

* * *

Carmen started to grow up quickly, and it wasn't long before she was finally starting to voice her thoughts and opinions.

Sherlock was lying asleep in bed, the little girl wrapped in his arms as the two rested peacefully. At some point during the morning , though, Carmen had woken up, unsettled by the storm happening outside. Whimpering quietly as a flash of lightning lit the room, accentuating all of shadows, the little girl shifted in her father's arms, sniffling to herself as she tried to nuzzle deeper into his chest.

"Hmm?" the detective mumbled, awoken by the sound of his daughter's whimpering. "Carmen?" he asked worriedly, instantly alert and afraid that something had happened to the little girl. "What's wrong, has something happened?"

"No Da'y," the little girl whimpered quietly.

"Well then why are you—" Sherlock froze upon realizing Carmen had just said "Daddy" for the first time. "Carmen!" he breathed excitedly, suddenly finding it was hard to catch his breath. "You just said 'Daddy!'"

Storm now completely forgotten, Carmen grinned happily and reached up, throwing her chubby arms around Sherlock's neck. "Da'y!" she cried again, smiling against the detective's skin. "Hmm... Da'y," she sighed contently, closing her eyes as she rested her head against her father's neck.

"Ohh," Sherlock sighed, a strange stinging sensation burning in his eyes as he heard his daughter's true voice for the first time. This was the first word she'd actually said that was more than just mumbling or tiny groans and whining noises. He felt a strange sense of love swell in his chest upon hearing how tiny, soft, and _beautiful_ Carmen's tender voice sounded. The detective barely noticed as a single, large tear slid down his cheek, landing silently on the bed.

"Da'y?" came the little girl's small voice against his skin. A sob of happiness escaping his lips, Sherlock pressed Carmen's tiny body even closer to him, wrapping his arms around her as he sniffled.

"Da'y owie?" Carmen asked worriedly, trying to squirm her way out of the detective's grasp, wanting to see what the cause of her father's distress was.

"No," Sherlock half chuckled, half sobbed. "I don't have an owie. I'm just very, very happy and proud, that's all," he whispered, quickly wiping away his tears and trying to regain his composure. Upon seeing how unconvinced the little girl looked, Sherlock chuckled, gently brushing some of her silky hair away from her forehead. "I just love you... Very much," he murmured, letting his hand rest on the side of her head.

"Mmm... Oh, Da'y," Carmen sighed in understanding, closing her eyes as she leaned into the detective's touch.

Sherlock smiled at his daughter, slowly brushing his thumb over the top of her cheek. "Well," he sighed, sitting up and pulling Carmen's small form into his lap. "I don't think either of us will be going back to sleep, even though it is early," he chuckled. "So I suggest we do something as way of celebration. What would you like?"

Carmen thought for a moment, pulling her brows together as she leaned forward, resting her head against Sherlock's shoulder as she pondered. Unable to put her thoughts into words, the little girl leaned back again, giggling as she ran her hands through her soft curls.

"Of course," Sherlock chuckled, pulling the little girl into a tight hug. "A bath sounds lovely," he murmured, standing up and making his way into the bathroom.

Listening as his daughter started to babble happily to herself, the detective quickly turned on the tub, making sure the water wasn't too warm, and then gathered up all of Carmen's favorite bath toys.

"All right," he sighed dramatically, placing her tiny form on the changing table. "Here we go." Chuckling at the little girl's happiness, Sherlock quickly unbuttoned Carmen's light pink babygrow, tossing it aside, and then gently tugged off her nappy.

"Ready?" he asked cheerfully, gently bouncing her in his arms.

Grinning, Carmen gave a firm nod of her head, clutching a fistful of the detective's shirt in her tiny hand. "Da'y," she said contently, pointing at the tub.

"Okay okay," Sherlock chuckled, grabbing a towel before hurrying over to the tub. "There we go." Smiling at his daughter's joy, the detective slowly lowered Carmen into the tub.

Keeping a hand wrapped firmly around Carmen's middle, Sherlock reached behind him, grabbing the shampoo from the counter. "Ready?" he asked gently, a tiny squirt of soap resting in the middle of his hand.

Grinning happily at her father, Carmen gave a tiny nod of her head. "Da'y," she giggled happily. With the help of Sherlock, the little girl stood up on he wobbly legs, holding on to the side of the tub as she waited.

Smiling fondly at his daughter, Sherlock moved forward gently placing his hand on Carmen's tiny head. Chuckling to himself as he saw the little girl squeeze her eyes shut in preparation, the detective slowly moved his fingertips through Carmen's silky hair, running the small amount of soap over her curls. "Would you like to help?" he murmured, gazing fondly at the little girl.

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed happily, reaching down to grab ahold of the hand her father had wrapped around her middle before holding her other chubby hand in front of her.

"Right," Sherlock chuckled, wrapping his fingers around Carmen's tiny hand. Humming happily to himself, the detective slowly moved the little girl's fingers to her own head, guiding her to run her hand through her silky curls. "Very good job, Carmen," he praised, giving her a warm smile.

"Mmm... M-hmm," the little girl agreed, giggling at her father.

* * *

Nearly fifteen minutes later, after Carmen had decided she'd had enough of playing in the water. "Da'y?" she asked quietly, attempting to pull herself up and out of the tub.

"Are you done?" Sherlock murmured, reaching over to help the little girl stand up.

"Mmm-hmm." Smiling, and with her father's hand wrapped safely around her middle, Carmen giggled, reaching her hands up towards the detective.

Grinning lovingly at his daughter, Sherlock stood up, grabbing the towel, and gently pulled her tiny form out of the water, wrapping her in the soft fabric.

"Mmm," Carmen sighed, resting her head against the detective's shoulder as she snuggled into the warmth of the towel. "Da'y," she whispered, gazing up at her father with content eyes.

"Right here," Sherlock murmured, gently pulling the little girl closer as he made his way out of the bathroom.

* * *

Several minutes later, after having successfully dried off and dressed Carmen, Sherlock found himself curled up on the couch with the little girl resting peacefully in his lap as they watched her favorite television show, "Thomas the Tank Engine." The detective often found, though, that he would end up watching his daughter's facial expressions, rather than the show itself, enjoying being able to observe the moments where she would smile, and giggle and laugh.

Sherlock couldn't help but smile, himself, when he saw the little girl's face light up as she smiled at the screen, the grip she had around one of his fingers tightening ever so slightly. Using his free hand, the detective slowly rubbed his finger up and down over Carmen's chubby arm, pulling her closer to his middle.

The detective's thoughts were interrupted, though by the sound of the doorbell ringing. Thinking it was a new client, Sherlock frowned, glaring down the stairwell. "Come on, Carmen," he groaned, rolling his eyes as the bell sounded once again.

"Hmm?" the little girl asked unhappily as she was lifted into her father's arms and pulled away from the show.

"Client," Sherlock answered, giving her a comical eye roll.

Moving the little girl to his hip, the detective slowly made his way down the stairs, holding Carmen's small form close to his side.

The little girl started to talk enthusiastically to Sherlock, playing absentmindedly with the collar of his dark purple shirt as they made their way down the stairs.

"Yes?" he asked, when it was clear Carmen had just asked him a question. He chuckled as he reached the front door when the little girl nodded back enthusiastically, continuing to babble.

Smiling lovingly at his daughter, and pulling her small form closer, Sherlock opened the door, turning his attention to the client.

The smell of alcohol momentarily stunned the detective as he swung the door entirely open. Instantly tense, Sherlock pulled Carmen's small body closer, feeling a strange sense of protection surge in his chest. Mouth turned down into a deep scowl, he closed the door, angling his body back to shield his daughter from the view of the man standing on the doorstep, dripping with the rain from outside, as well as the smell of alcohol..

"May I help you?" he asked, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible and trying not to gag with the bitter smell of alcohol assaulting his senses. His eyes quickly raked over the filthy man, scowling in disdain at the deductions crashing together in his mind. His eyes quickly darted to the right, glancing at Carmen, who had clearly sensed the change of mood, and was gripping tightly to his shirt, tense in his arms. Wanting to reassure his daughter, the detective gently patted her on the bottom, giving her a quick smile out of the corner of his lips. Clutching her close to his side, Sherlock turned his attention back to the man, bracing himself as it was clear he was about to say something.

"Yes'sir," came the slurred response of the man as he gazed at Sherlock with bloodshot eyes. "I came... To get... My daughter back."


End file.
